Nigel Owens lifts the lid on why he is retiring from international rugby refereeing 

Referee Nigel Owens refereed his 100th international match when France played Italy

Legendary referee Nigel Owens feels 'as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders' following his decision to retire from international rugby earlier this month.

The famous Welsh whistler - one of the most recognised and decorated officials in game - said that he wanted to finish on the top stage 'on his own terms'. He turns 50 next year.

Writing a column for Walesonline.com, Owens admitted the decision 'had been a tough call, one that had been on my mind for months.'

He explained: "But the March lockdown gave me time to realise what I had missed over the previous 20 years. 

For its highs, being a top-flight official is a massive commitment, with much training and travelling around the world. 

I’ve enjoyed it all and would do it again, but there comes a point when you realise you are getting older and maybe it’s time to drop down a gear.

"Since making the decision, it’s as if a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I’d been thinking whether I’d got the timing right. How much would I miss it? Was I doing the right thing? If I did carry on, would I be carrying on for the sake of it?

"What about the training commitments? There’d been countless questions running through my head like steam trains. I've had a lot of sleepless nights, I can tell you.

"But then, owing to lockdown, I spent more time at home and I thought that maybe I could get a taste for that.

"Not refereeing at Test level will still take some getting used to, of course, but I guess there comes a point when you have to reassess your priorities, when you realise you should be at home more. No-one has the divine right to just keep going.

He continued: "I reached the decision in consultation with World Rugby.

"I’d reached my 100th Test and I’d just refereed one of the great Champions Cup finals between Exeter Chiefs and Racing 92, so we agreed this would be as good a time as any for me to ease up.

"Fair play, they were keen for me to get to my hundred.

"I told them I only wanted to get there if I was still doing my job well. The last thing I wanted was it to be a reward for services rendered over the years. I wanted it to be based on merit, and I think it was.

So I’m finishing on my own terms after conversations with people involved.

I’m 50 in June. That’s not a bad age to be exiting the Test stage."